


Edelgard/Ingrid Support Chain

by bethany81707



Category: Fire Emblem Series, Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Enemies to Friends to Lovers, F/F, Food, Found Family, Friendship, Original Support Conversations (Fire Emblem), Support Conversations, farming
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-23
Updated: 2021-01-23
Packaged: 2021-03-14 22:27:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,159
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28928034
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bethany81707/pseuds/bethany81707
Summary: My version of the C-B-A-A+ Support chain between Edelgard and Ingrid, ending included.
Relationships: Ingrid Brandl Galatea & Edelgard von Hresvelg, Ingrid Brandl Galatea/Edelgard von Hresvelg
Kudos: 36





	Edelgard/Ingrid Support Chain

Ingrid loved to eat, Edelgard noticed. Every time her gaze crossed the Blue Lion’s table, she saw Ingrid with a much larger serving of food than her companions. Edelgard decided to leave an unfinished drumstick on her plate once, and when Ingrid passed the table by, she ate it without a thought for the consequences. Edelgard knew there had to be a reason for it, and her imagination wasn’t drawing up pretty ones.

“Care for a snack, Ingrid?” Edelgard asked. Ingrid nodded without even thinking, only realising it was the Emperor of Adrestia when she had taken her seat on one of the terrace’s tables, inviting her to sit opposite, and it was too late to leave.

“Thanks, Your Imperial Highness…” Ingrid said, taking a nervous but still large chomp out of the prepared cupcake. She recognised Mercedes’s cooking anywhere, and felt safe with sampling some more.

“You don’t need to stand on ceremony with me. We’re sitting down, for one thing,” Edelgard joked, gauging her reaction behind a mask of determined serenity. Ingrid squirmed quite uncomfortably, and Edelgard let the mask fall.

“I’ve noticed you Lions have been avoiding me. I’ve gotten Ashe and Mercedes to sit still long enough for some friendly conversation, but I’ve never gotten a straight answer for why. Do I need to be worried about something I might’ve done to offend?” Edelgard asked.

“Oh, I’m sure it’s nothing you’ve done, Your Imperial Highness,” Ingrid said. Edelgard wondered if she was really curious enough to press further, but she elected to have Hubert try and investigate first so she could prompt.

“Well, if there’s nothing wrong with me, then perhaps we can take this time to talk to one another? Garreg Mach’s academy was built for exactly that, was it not?” Edelgard asked.

“Well, yes it was, but you never struck me as the gossipy type. Why so interested in me?” Ingrid asked.

“Well…” Edelgard started, before quickly realising her favourite reasons didn’t actually apply to Ingrid. It was too late to try and figure out a good one, but she had to try before the pause got too awkward.

“It’s lonely at the top, isn’t it, Your Highness? No time for friends?” Ingrid asked, in a particularly needling tone.

“It doesn’t have to be that way,” Edelgard said.

“And yet you push people away anyway. Always wanting to know more, never wanting to take on the trust that requires. You remind me of someone else,” Ingrid said.

“...You can leave now, but trust that I’ll be thinking about your words,” Edelgard said, without the coldness that she felt in her heart. Ingrid didn’t flee, but she had a determination in her stride that betrayed her feelings.

“...Trust… can I afford to?” Edelgard asked one of the uneaten cupcakes. She gave it time to make an answer before she took a bite.

* * *

It was Ingrid that approached Edelgard when next they met. Edelgard had just been tackling a particularly taxing logistical problem in her textbook that she felt she would be likely to be faced with in the near future. Ingrid took a seat behind her with a drumstick in hand, but was content to gnaw on it while Edelgard finished her answer to the question posed.

“Is there something you require of me, Ingrid?” Edelgard asked.

“...I wanted to apologise for what I said to you,” Ingrid said. Edelgard needed no reminder.

“Your criticisms were correct, and I decided there were ways I could improve upon them. And so I did. I still have a ways to go, though, so until I can be open with everyone, your words were warranted,” Edelgard assured her.

“Yes, I agree, you’ve certainly been much nicer to the rest of the Black Eagles since I said that to you. But I wasn’t being entirely fair in calling you out for it. I used to think of Dimitri as a friend, but after joining your class, I’ve noticed how little he has to say to me… and I admit, part of my annoyance with you was annoyance with him I’ll never get to express to his face,” Ingrid said.

“He may one day become your King, but if you do not tell him this, he will not learn it on his own. You are more to him than a weapon,” Edelgard told her firmly.

“Actually, Your Highness, I am a weapon to him. And not even a particularly good one. Our Crest and Luin is all Galatea has to serve the crown. When my ancestors turned their back on Leicester, the goddess saw fit to curse our lands to lie fallow. I can’t even be a good wife properly, most of the financial benefit to such a relationship will just go to making sure my people don’t starve,” Ingrid explained. Edelgard sat there, utterly gobsmacked, trying to wrap her head around the idea.

“...I’m sorry, Your Highness, I shouldn’t have troubled you with my burdens. I’m sure you have bigger fish to fry… juicier fish…” Ingrid said.

“I do have bigger fish to fry. But Ingrid, this is just not a healthy relationship with your Kingdom your territory is in!” Edelgard said as loudly as she could without any of the bishops in the room becoming interested in the conversation.

“It’s not all bad. My dad gave me all the scraps he could, so I should be fit for my role when the time comes. And then Galatea will get the food it needs,” Ingrid explained.

“No, Ingrid, your only recourse should not be to marry money and give your territory a windfall. I’m going to share a secret of my own, Ingrid- the goddess does not care about your prayers. If you want to make your mark, you have to be the one to carve it. And if someone comes along to say that you can find your success outside the role the Kingdom is forcing you to take on… consider their offer before dismissing them as a heretic,” Edelgard said. Ingrid needed only take one look at the sheer horror in her face to realise that she was deadly serious about her reaction.

“...But Dimitri’s such a nice guy,” she said weakly.

“That’s not what you were telling me earlier,” Edelgard told her. Ingrid took another bite of her drumstick, trying desperately to reconcile the two facts in front of her.

* * *

“Edelgard, you don’t need to keep bringing me food. I don’t care about my figure, but sooner or later I’m going to be too fat for my poor pegasus!” Ingrid said, while still gratefully accepting the snacks that Edelgard had taken to making herself- with careful supervision. Every single time Edelgard had sought Ingrid’s company since Ingrid had shared with her Galatea’s woes, she had come bearing a large serving of food. She had even thought of Galatea and added non-perishables to her offerings.

“Let me indulge. I have years of starvation to make up for,” Edelgard said.

“You weren’t the one who starved me!” Ingrid chuckled.

“I’m not the cause of the suffering of many people, but I’m doing something about it anyway. It shouldn’t be on the shoulders of the most guilty to make that step,” Edelgard said, with all the seriousness of her rallying speeches.

“...I do thank you, of course,” Ingrid said.

“Don’t worry, I understand that perfectly well. I’ve also procured something that might help out a little more, too,” Edelgard said, handing her a decently sized textbook.

“This belongs to Count Bergliez, and describes the farming techniques used to ensure that Gronder Field is the bountiful fields that it is,” Edelgard explained. Ingrid took it, opening to a random page as she thought over what Edelgard had just said.

“You mean… there’s more to farming… than planting the seeds and watching the sprouts bloom?” Ingrid asked.

“Of course. Most Adrestians know this. Garreg Mach’s own greenhouse uses this. There are actually books in the Church’s library about it. I had considered it so common that I did not believe you would not know it. But I told the Count about Galatea and he suggested you read this. I’m fairly confident he wasn’t joking about it,” Edelgard said. Ingrid nodded, and took a look down at the pages. Her eyes widened, and she held the book up closer to her face.

“...I take it some of this stuff is news to you?” Edelgard asked.

“Yes. Well, OK, some of it, Ashe talked about in the greenhouse. But you can do this sort of thing to farmland… and it  _ works _ ? Pegasus blessings? Volcanic soil?” Ingrid asked, flipping around the book excitedly.

“Well, now you know,” Edelgard said.

“I know! I’ve got to send a message right away, so my father can prepare for next Harpstring Moon,” Ingrid said.

“Let me know when you’re preparing that, so I can offer a little investment for any sort of equipment he might need to get that done,” Edelgard said.

“Oh, you don’t need to do that, you’ve done plenty already,” Ingrid told her.

“I found you a book. The least I can do is offer Galatea the tribute it deserves for producing such a strong woman under such pressure,” Edelgard said. Ingrid kissed her on the cheek and darted off, the giddiness of the revelation that her territory’s woes might soon be over continuing to overwhelm her.

“...I thought Dorothea said she didn’t swing that way,” Edelgard muttered under her breath, letting her hand come up to her cheek.

* * *

Edelgard came to Ingrid with chocolates next. She had seemed rather despondent of late, and while it was not Edelgard’s original intention, there was no better time to make a gift of chocolate than now. Ingrid accepted it wordlessly, and began shovelling away at them.

“What happened?” Edelgard asked.

“I sent a message to my father about what I believed were the farming techniques most applicable to Galatea’s plight in particular. It’s been two weeks since I should have expected a reply,” Ingrid explained.

“...Well, OK, we  _ are _ at war with him, maybe it was a little farfetched to expect him to listen to me,” Edelgard suggested.

“It’s not that. My father hasn’t sent me any letters since I first joined your cause five years ago. It hurt a little then, but I understood. But this… this isn’t about the war. This isn’t about your cause. This is about our people. If anything, this would help Faerghus more than it hurts it. I can’t believe he hates my betrayal more than he cares for the people of Galatea,” Ingrid said.

“...I feel I must be fair and point out there are several reasons he might not have responded. Either messenger might have been detained, he didn’t feel a response was necessary, he might’ve died in some military operation, and so forth. But knowing the story you have weaved for me about your father, about how he treated you and your hand, I don’t know if I can afford him the benefit of the doubt. Ingrid, I love having you around, and I want you to know that, no matter whether or not you can maintain your relationship with your father, your true family is with us, in the Black Eagle Strike Force,” Edelgard said.

“...Thank you, Edelgard. I love being around here, too. And I promise, once this war is over, I’ll get to work on rebuilding Galatea’s land to be fertile once more,” Ingrid said, perking up a little bit.

“And I promise I’ll lend a hand myself,” Edelgard told her.

“You? But… our other enemies…” Ingrid stammered.

“We need to find them first. And I can have hobbies while I’m trying to find them. Besides, with more hands on the fields, it’ll get done faster,” Edelgard pointed out.

“...Thank you, Edie,” Ingrid said.

“I have one more question for you… what do you happen to think about marriage between woman and woman?” Edelgard asked. Ingrid looked vaguely like she had been asked about her opinions on relations between cats and dogs.

“...Those are a thing? How would you… have kids?” Ingrid asked.

“Adoption. Or just not bothering. It’s something to think about, my knight,” Edelgard said, stroking her hair before taking her leave. It took a moment for Ingrid to truly realise the implications of why she asked.

“...Edie?” she asked weakly.

* * *

_ Edelgard kept her promise and came to Galatea territory to help Ingrid cultivate the land. Although the work was difficult and more demanding than initially diagnosed, their efforts eventually and quite literally bore fruit, and Galatea saw its first bountiful harvest of plenty in centuries. Ingrid stopped herself from eating the harvest from the stalk by making an impulsive proposal to Edelgard, and to her surprise, Edelgard graciously accepted. Once the tireless work to reform Fodlan and stamp out those who slithered in the dark was complete, Edelgard passed on her crown as Empress and helped Ingrid lead Galatea into prosperity. _


End file.
